Ditching-machine.



G. EDWARDS.

DITGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21. 1913.

1, 1 1 3,318. Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

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\ lNVE/VTOR- E NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

G. EDWARDS. DITGHING MAGHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1913.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

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I w m W/TNESSES 'IHE NORRIS PETERS LO. PHOTOALITHCL. WASHING TON. u C.

GEORGE EDWARDS, OF BRUSSELS, ()NTARIO, CANADA.

DITCHING-MACI-IINE.

To all whom it may concern:

of the town of Brussels, in the county of Huron, 1n the Province of Ontario, Canada,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching-lvlachines, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in ditching machines and the object ofthe invention is to devise a simple means for ex-. cavating drain ditches sot-hat the earth is conveyed out of the ditch and passed rearwardly of the machine back into the ditch over the tiles previously laid in the ditch as it is formed and it consists essentially of a main truck frame supported on suitable 1 wheels, a main driving shaft supported in suitable bearings and extending crosswise of the truck, upwardly extending arc shaped guide-ways formed concentric with the center of the driving shaft, supplemental shaft and having supplemental arc-shaped guide bars secured to one end thereof and movable in the aforesaid arc-shaped guideways, an endless bucket conveyer supported, by the opposite end of the supplemental guide bars in proximity to one end and connected at the other end to the lower end of the supplemental arc-shaped guide bars, a

cutting lever pivoted between the supple mental guide bars intermediately of its length, an arc-shaped cutting bar slidably held between the aforesaid supplemental arc-shaped bars and connected to the corresponding end of the cutting bar lever, an operating crank supported in suitable journals carried by the supplemental guide bars,

a link connecting the crank with the cutting bar lever, means for driving the crank from the main shaft, cutting knives supportedby the arc-shaped cutting bar at its lower end, a'scoop carried by the bucket conveyer and designed to'receive the earth cut by the knives, means for adjusting the supplemental arc-shaped guide bars radially, means for driving the truck in unison to the operation of the cutting knives and a supplemental conveyer designed to convey the earth from the main conveyer down into the ditch as hereinafter more particularly explained by the following specification. v

Figure 1, is a general perspective view of my device. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section Specification of Letters Patent.

guide arms swung upon the driving through Fig. 1 showing my machine ap Be it known that I, GEORGE EowARDs,.

plied to the cutting of a ditch. Fig. 3, is a sectional detail of a portion of the driving mechanism. Fig. 4;, is a sectional detail of the arc-shaped guiding bars and cutting'bar on line 00-11 Fig. 2. Fig. 5, 1s a SECtlOIlELl.

view on line w y Fig. 2. Fig. 6, is a flOIltBlGVELtlOIl of the cutting bar ad ust1ng mechanisms.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure. A is the mam truck frame compnsmg the outer timbers A and A cross connecting end timbers A and A and the longitudinal intermediate timbers A and A.

B are the driving wheels supported on the axle B and B are the front or steering wheels supported on axles B swiveled on the ring bolt B, the axle being swung on the ring bolt by any suitable mechanism which is not shown in the drawing as it forms no part of this invention. 0 are bearings extending upwardly from the side bars A and A of the truck frame intermediately of their length.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914. Application filed June 21, 1913. Serial No. 774,986.

C are. bearings extending upwardly from the intermediate and A.

D is'the main driving shaft.

-D" is a supplemental shaft journale'd in the timber A and intermediate timber A I) is a sprocket gear mounted onthe shaft D.

longitudinal bars A D is a sprocket gear mounted on the main driving shaft D.

D is a sprocket chain connecting the sprocket wheels D and D together.

D is a sprocket wheel also mounted on the shaft D .and D is a sprocket wheel connected to one of the driving wheels B.

D is a sprocket chain connecting the sprocket wheel D to the sprocket chain D".

It will thus be seen thatthe main driving shaft 1) which is operated from any suit able source of power is adapted to actuate the wheel B through the sprocket wheel D sprocket chain D sprocket wheel D mounted on the shaft D, throughthe shaft D to the sprocket wheel D to the sprocket chain D and sprocket wheel D mounted on the main driving shaft.

E are arc-shaped guide barsflextending upwardly from the intermediate longitudinalbars A and A The guide bars E are concentric with the center. ofthe main shaft bar F is provided with a notch F (see Fig.-

2) across which extends a pin F F is a cutting bar lever swung upon a cross bolt F extending through the supplemental cutting bars E Gare standard bearings extending upwardly from each of the guide bars E and E G is a crank shaft journaled in the stand ards G and provided at one end with a driving gear G G is a link connecting the crank shaft G with the cutting bar lever F. r

H is a pinion mounted upon the main driving shaft D and meshing with the gear G H is a main driving pulley mounted upon a main shaft D, the driving pulley H being driven from any suitable source of power such as a gasolene engine mounted on the frame of the truck. v

I is an endless bucket conveyer secured to that portion of the guide bars E and E projecting below the main shaft D. The lower end of the endless conveyer is connected by arc-shaped bars I shown by dotted lines in Fig. l to the supplemental guide bars F.

I is a scoop secured beneath the bucket conveyer in proximity to its lower end.

J is a pulley mounted upon the opposite end of the crank shaft G and J is a pulley mounted on the shaft J of the bucket conveyer I.

J 3 is a driving belt connecting the pulleys J and 5 together. I

I are a series offcuttin'g knives secured to the cutting bar F K is a supplemental endless conveyer depending in an inclined direction from the rear end of the truck frame A so as to convey the dirt down in as close proximity as possible to the drain tiles 2 which are arranged in the usual manner in the bottom of the drain cut '3. The supplemental conveyer K is driven from the mainshaft D through the gear K mounted upon the opposite end of the main shaft D and the gear K mounted upon the stud shaft K and meshing with the gear K and the pulley K connected to the gear K the pulley K being connected by a belt'K to a pulley K mounted upon the upper shaft K of the supplemental conveyer.

- Having described the principal parts involved in my invention I shall briefly describe the operation of the same.

As before described the pulley H is driven from any suitable source of power which rotates the crank shaft G through the gears G and H. As the crank shaft revolves it swings the cutting lever F on the bolt F reciprocating the opposite end of the lever through an arc and the cutting bar between the supplemental guide bars F. By the reciprocation of the cutting bar F the cutting knives slice the earth in a substantially vertical direction. The loose earth as it falls to the bottom of the drain out is gathered up by the scoop I as the truck A. is driven forwardly.

As the earth is collected in the scoop it is gathered by the buckets of the bucket conveyer and carried upwardly in an inclined direction and thrown on to the supplemental conveyer K which again conveys it into the drain out filling it in and covering the tiles. In order to regulate the depth of the cut I provide the following mechanism L is a rack section formed on one of the arc-shape guide bars F. L is a cross shaft journaled in bearings L and L is a pinion mounted on the shaft L and meshing with the quadrant L. L is a hand wheel secured to the shaft L. y throwing the wheel L the guide bars F may be raised or lowered as desired carrying the cutting bar F with it and thereby regulating the depth of the cut made by the cutting knives.

From this description it will be seen that I have devised very simple form of ditching machine which will operate rapidly to cut the ditch and convey the earth cut thereby to the rear of the machine so as to deposit it a ain in the ditch and over the tiles which have been arranged therein so as to fill up the out.

VJhat I claim as my invention is: o 1. A ditching machine comprising a truck frame and supporting wheels, arc-shaped guide-ways extending upwardly from the supporting frame, an arc-shape cutting bar located between the guide ways andslidable in a substantially circumferential direction, cutting knives supported thereby, a pivoted cutting bar lever connected at one end to the cutting bar, and means for reciprocating the opposite end of the lever, as and for the purpose specified.

I 2. A ditching machine comprising a truck frame and supporting wheels therefor, arcshape opposing guide-ways extending upwardly from the truck, an arc-shape cutting bar held between the arc-shape guide-ways, cutting knives supported by the bar, means for adjusting such bar vertically to regulate l. A ditching machine comprising a truck frame and supporting wheels therefor, 0pposing arc-shape guide-ways extending upwardly from the truck, supplemental arcshape guide-ways supported in the aforesaid arcshape guide-ways, an arc-shape cutting bar slidably held between the supplemental guide-ways, means for adjusting the supplemental guide-ways vertically between the main arc-shape guide-ways, a cutting lever pivotedly supported in suitable bearings and connected at one end to the arc-shape cutting bar, and means at the opposite end for reciprocating the lever, as and for the purposespecified.

5. A ditching machine comprising a truck and supporting wheels therefor, are-shape guide-ways extending upwardly from the truck, an arc-shape cutting bar supported between the guide-ways, a cutting knife carried by'the cutting bar, a pivoted operating lever connected at one end to the cutting bar, and means for reciprocating the opposite end of the lever.

6. A ditching machine comprising a'truck frame and supporting wheels therefor, arcshape guide-ways extending upwardly from the truck frame, supplemental arc-shape guide bars supported in the aforesaid guideways, an arc-shaped cutting bar reciprocating between the supplemental guide bars, cutting knives connected to the arc-shaped cutting bar, conveying means for conveying the cut dirt rearwardly and arc-shaped hangers connecting the lower. end of the conveying means to the supplemental arc-shaped guide bars, as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a ditching machine, the combination with a main supporting frame, of arc-shapedv guide-ways extending upwardly from the frame, cutting means designed to travel in the arc-shaped guide-ways, conveying means swung intermediately of its length concentric with the arc-shaped guide ways, means for actuating said cutting means and means located on the arc-shaped guide-ways for adjusting the throw ofsaid cutting means.

8. A ditching machine comprising a truck frame and supporting wheels therefor, arcshape guide-ways extending upwardly from the truck frame, supplemental arc-shape guide bars supported in the aforesaid guide bars, an arc-shape cutting bar reciprocating between the supplemental guide bars, cut ting knives connected to the arc-shape cutting bar, an endless bucket conveyer, arcshape hangers connecting the lower end of the bucket conveyer to the supplemental arcshape guide bars and a collecting bucket supported beneath the bucket conveyer in proximity to the cutting knives, as and for the purpose specified.

9. A ditching machine comprising a truck frame and supporting wheels therefor, arcshape guide-ways extending upwardly from,

the truck frame, supplemental arc-shape guide bars supported in the aforesaid guide bars, an arc-shape cutting bar reciprocating between the supplemental guide bars, cutting knives connected to the arc-shape cutting bar, an endless bucket conveyer, arcshape hangers connecting the lower end of the bucket conveyer to the supplemental arcshape guide bars and a collecting bucket supported beneath the bucket conveyer in proximity to the cutting knives.

10. A ditching machine comprising a truck frame and supporting wheels therefor, a main driving shaft journaled in bearings on the truck frame and extending across the same, arc-shape guide-ways extending upwardly from the truck frame concentric with the center of the driving shaft, supplemental arc-shape guide bars held in the opposing guide-ways, arms swung in proximity to one end thereof to the main driving shaft and connected at their opposite end to the arc-shape supplemental guide bars, an endless bucket conveyer secured to the opposite ends of the aforesaid arms, arc-shape hangers connecting the lower end of the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

